Drawn to the dance

This is the divine dance; there is nothing more moving under heaven. There’s no clearer statement in all of Paul’s letters than the above passage that appears in the letter to the believers in Philippi. It illustrates this inner-life partnership between God and those early believers that were drawn to respond and accept the call to “work out” their faith and new life as Christ-followers. Today, we should understand that the work of God to draw, and the work of Christ-followers to respond, is an intimacy with Jesus that sets disciples apart from believers that have not yet chosen to follow Him into the “dance of discipleship.”

For it is God who works

Those first words Paul spoke in this passage set the stage. “For it is God…”. God is the starting point, followed by “who works…”. It’s remarkable that in the original Greek language of this passage, the word ěněrgěō – meaning to work, to be active – is used first in reference to the work of God. Without first the work of the Holy Spirit in believers, there can be no change of human will, no real transformation over a lifetime. In fact, no one can even come to Christ without the work of God.

Let’s hold that thought for a moment and listen to the testimony of another man who was close to Jesus – in His inner circle. The Apostle John wrote one of the four canonical gospel letters in the first century, and his was unique in that it was especially foundational to our understanding of the power and work of God to fulfill His ultimate purpose – drawing humanity back to Himself. John masterfully expounds throughout the letter about the drawing power of God. A key passage in John’s letter describes an interaction that Jesus had with a large gathering of His fellow Jewish people near the sea, regarding how one could come to a belief in Him. In this setting, among the people, Christ pointed to the drawing power of God – the work of God – without which no living soul could even come to Him at all:

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him….” – John 6:44

Everything that you will in following Jesus is an inner spiritual response to a preceding inner spiritual drawing. In other words, you are drawn initially (and continuously) by God. The key word for draw as it’s used in John 6:44, “ἑλκύω” in Greek (lexicon G1670), metaphorically means “to draw by inward power, lead, impel.” (https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/helkuo.html). We know this to mean the intimate, inward drawing power of God. Blending Paul’s and John’s words, we could say “For it is God…who draws.” It would be reasonable to correlate the work God performs as described in Paul’s letter with the drawing power of God in John’s letter.

In you

Following that initial phrase in Paul’s statement are the two words: “in you.” Only by God’s work were those early believers in Philippi empowered in their own hearts and minds first to will, and then to work (take action on that will). You’ll see the same Greek word ěněrgěō used again in the passage (also meaning “to act”) in reference to the believers’ response. Again this is that inner-life mystery we’ve been talking about. It is God who draws by the power of the Holy Spirit so that, as you respond, the life of Christ is being formed in you! Thus begins the surrendering of your own will for His, your surrender into the arms of the One who draws you into the dance.

One more thing to note: In Paul’s statement above, he says, “God who works” and in some translations, “is working.” The tense of the verb in both cases is the progressive tense implying that it’s the continuous work of the Holy Spirit within you. He is continuously drawing you. It’s so encouraging to know that He never stops drawing you to want – i.e. will – to follow. Not only that, He supplies the power for you to actually do so!

Subtle and silent

This is where the supernatural and the natural intersect. It’s the divine dance of the Creator with His creation, much like the alluring dance between a suitor and his suitress: hand in hand, one senses the subtle, unspoken movement of the other and responds to that movement. This is where it all begins, in your inner life, i.e. that dynamic integration between the Holy Spirit, your spirit, and your soul. The transformative process takes root. Once you begin to respond, over time your will becomes aligned with God’s will, in your inner life and then your outer life. His will begins to drive yours.

Sometimes maybe you wish you’d just hear the audible voice of God. According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, in the Bible physical voice was rarely used by God. You may be aware of some of these rare instances in both the Old and New Testaments.

…on occasion God did speak audibly to some of His servants in the Bible—but only rarely. More often, God gave them an inner conviction of His truth, or made His will clear to them through circumstances. Most often, He made His will clear through the written messages He had given in the past—in other words, through the Bible. – Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

The Holy Spirit is actively involved in the life of a child of God. It is He who shows us our need to be saved (John 16:7-11). He indwells us at the moment of salvation (Romans 8:9). He provides the power to be witnesses for Christ (Acts 1:8). He leads us into all truth (John 16:13), gives us assurance in our relationship with God (Romans 8:16), and prays passionately for us (Romans 8:26-27). He also bestows upon each believer spiritual gifts for the benefit of all (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

Leading us “into all truth” as written by the Apostle John is very significant and central to the work of God through the Spirit. Without being led in the truth, nothing else would matter! In the leading – that is, the drawing – process, the Spirit provides direction, guided by truth. Pastor John Stange of Core Creek Community Church provides an excellent, scripturally-based article explaining some of the subtle and silent ways in which the Holy Spirit moves, initiates, and draws His followers into the dance. We’ve provided a summary below, and you can read the full article here.

Here’s the summary:

• Through Scripture – 2 Timothy 3:14-17
• Through your prayer life – Acts 13:2
• Through your conscience – 1 Corinthians 2:11-12
• With a “still small voice” – 1 Kings 19:11-12 (i.e. a “voice” in your spirit)
• Through dreams and visions – Acts 2:16-17
• Through other people – 2 Samuel 12:1

We can’t even begin to claim that this is an exhaustive list. Surely we can’t number or grasp all the ways of God in drawing us into the dance, this intimacy with Him. What a great mystery are His ways!

“…And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways…” – Isaiah 55:8-9

Going further, what you’ll begin to see in your life is that the Holy Spirit often confirms a single prompting to you in multiple ways. For example, a thought may come to you seemingly out of the blue as if a “still small voice” is provoking your spirit. It whispers into your heart and mind. You realize that it bears relevance to something going on in your life at that moment. Not long after, in your Bible reading a verse jumps off the page, revealing the same truth in that thought that’s captivating you. Or maybe in a random conversation a friend unknowingly reinforces this truth. It then becomes plainly evident to you that the Spirit of Christ is drawing you. You sense a strong inner conviction. Now is the time for you to respond.

Your spirit receiving, your soul responding

For a refresher on the response of your soul, revisit the article entitled “Who am I?” Here’s a reminder from that article, that the “words of God” received by your spirit are then acted upon in your heart and mind (your soul):

“The Bible reveals a pattern of connectivity between the heart and the mind. The heart is the steering wheel of the soul where the words of God are processed and faith decisions are made or rejected. Positive acceptance causes the mind to inherit insight and understanding that reinforce actions of righteousness.” 
– Taken from Integrated Design for Empowerment, Joshua S. Hall

As He draws you through infinite ways, He desires that you respond in your soul. Your inner response is between you and the Holy Spirit. It would be presumptuous for us to list all the possible ways you should respond. However, we can find examples in scripture how early believers were encouraged to respond to, or act on, the Holy Spirit’s drawing. Here are just a few that you can apply to your everyday life:

• Believing what scripture claims about your identity in Christ (Ephesians 2:10)
• Surrendering your will to His in your choices (Proverbs 3:5-6)
• Humbly examining, confessing and surrendering thought patterns, mindset, intentions and motivations (Romans 12:2)
• Returning your focus to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)
• Seeing everything you do as an offering to God instead of seeking praise or recognition (Colossians 3:23-24)
• Going to God in personal prayer, intercession, praise, or worship (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
• Waiting intentionally and expectantly for Him to act in a tangible way (Romans 8:24-25)
• Taking time to be quiet and still before Him (Philippians 4:6-7)
• Inviting Him to act in your life (James 4:8)
• Referring to Scripture to affirm what you believe is a call from Him, or to determine a further response (Matthew 7:7-8)
• Applying your prayerful study of Scripture, within proper context and meaning, to your daily life (James 1:22-25)

Oswald Chambers reminds us of this beautifully powerful partnership, which is the drawing of God and our subsequent response:

“…When a truth of God is brought home to your soul, never allow it to pass without acting on it internally in your will, not necessarily externally in your physical life… work it into your life. The weakest saint who transacts business with Jesus Christ is liberated the second he acts and God’s almighty power is available on his behalf… When we are confronted with such a word of truth from our redeeming Lord, we must move directly to transact business with Him… at that very moment, the supernatural power of the life of God invades… The dominating power of the world, the flesh, and the devil is now paralyzed; not by your act, but because your act has joined you to God and tapped you in to His redemptive power.” – Oswald Chambers

The dance. His Spirit within you. His Spirit, to your spirit, to your soul. Your inner life is drawn in. A will surrendered to the continuous drawing of the Holy Spirit receives and engages with the power of the risen Christ within to defeat strongholds of sin, to resist the lies of the enemy, to be a living witness for those that are lost, and to glorify God. Let’s look into this inner life, this secret place, where the transforming power of the dance occurs.